Artwork
Rearing Horse near a Stable
Rearing Horse near a Stable is an ink print by the Baroque artist Dirck Stoop. It dates from 1651 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Dirck Stoop’s 1651 print, titled Rearing Horse near a Stable, is an etching executed on laid paper. The work captures a moment of agitation: a horse rears on its hind legs, its rider gripping the animal’s back, while a second horse stands placidly inside a stable and a dog lies nearby. The composition balances motion and stillness within a compact, monochrome format.
Subject & Meaning
The scene juxtaposes a chaotic, uncontrolled horse with a calm counterpart, perhaps alluding to the tension between wildness and domestication. The rider’s precarious hold and the wide‑brimmed hat suggest a rural or travel context, while the presence of the stable and the dog grounds the image in everyday equine life of the seventeenth‑century Netherlands.
Technique & Style
Stoop employed traditional intaglio etching, incising lines into a copper plate so that ink settles in the recessed grooves. The resulting prints display crisp, textured lines that convey rapid, almost sketch‑like movement. The use of laid paper adds a subtle ribbed texture, enhancing the visual contrast between the vigorous horse and the more subdued background elements.
History & Provenance
Created in 1651, the print belongs to Stoop’s relatively small output of animal studies. Though specific ownership records are scarce, the work has appeared in several Dutch print collections and auction catalogues, indicating its circulation among collectors of 17th‑century Dutch graphic art.
Artist & collection
